March 31, 2009

In these down economic times, we're all looking for a way to throw away money. Wait...that doesn't sound right. Let's try that again.

In these down economic times, we're all looking for a way to spend twenty or thirty bucks on a contraption designed mainly to waste beer. No, that still doesn't sound right. Third try is a charm.

Hey everyone, check out this crazy beer squirt gun! It costs twenty bucks ($30 if you throw in the holster) and according to their video it's designed to squirt beer in your friends' ears! Sticky, annoying, AND expensive!

Screw it. Here's a video of the thing in action. It's got a girl in it.

Update: Even if you're not into buying this to do the equivalent of shaking up a beer and pouring it out, on rewatching the video we noticed it's got a bottle opener on it. Value!

March 30, 2009

We found these glass coasters that follow the drunkard's journey, from Sober (boring) through Tipsy, Plastered, Drunk, and Shit-Faced, until the all-too-familiar state of Hung Over (also boring, unless you start drinking again). Your friends can self-select where they'd like to end up after a night in front of your bar, or you can just use them to gauge your own progress while you drink alone.

March 27, 2009

With things being what they are, nobody needs an excuse to drown their sorrows. All you have to do is look at your bank statement, maybe your stock portfolio, and suddenly it's beer:30. What better way to laugh at your losses than with a recession-themed pint glass?

March 26, 2009

In a piece of news we wouldn't cover in a million years if not for two awesome reasons, Scarlett Johansson is going to be fronting the bubbly. Not for nothing, Luxist, but we think our picture is better. OK, can't talk now, staring.

Moet & Chandon has a new face for its champagne, the first movie star to front for the brand. They introduced celebrity spokesperson, Scarlett Johansson at the "Tribute to Cinema" gala at London's Big Sky studio.

March 24, 2009

We got our bottle of Double Cross Vodka a little bit ago, and we've sort of been reluctant to open it. No ulterior motive other than that rectangular bottle looks pretty darned cool front and center in the Liquor (Snob) Cabinet, and we didn't want to sully it by draining it. But, of course, our curiosity to try out the nectar inside overtook our aesthetic sense, and we had to pop it open for some sniffing, sipping, and cocktails.

OK, maybe it wasn't as existential as all that. But you're curious about how it all turned out, aren't you?

March 23, 2009

We're big absinthe fans from way back, but some of the folks we know aren't huge anise fans. "Too much Good N Plenty taste," we hear. "It overpowers everything else with licorice." Fie on you, imaginary friends.

If you're looking to toy with absinthe but you're not ready for hot licorice action, Absinthe Mata Hari, of the Bohemian variety is on the scene. In the tradition of good websites, the Mata Hari site has anticipated your question of "What's a Bohemian absinthe?" Good on them.

Bohemian style absinthe however, does not hail from France. In the case of Mata Hari absinthe, this bohemian recipe comes from Austria and has been in the Fischer family since 1881. Mata Hari has the same natural green color, grande wormwood(the subject of the controversy that led to the banning of absinthe) and louche effect of French style absinthe, but that is where her deception ends. The much less anise heavy taste leaves a far more desirable flavor when enjoyed in the traditional ritual or in one of the many cocktails that can be created with Mata Hari.

"Well, Liquor Snobs," we hear you saying. "You haven't posted since St. Patrick's Day. Was the hangover so bad you couldn't face a keyboard?" All we can say in reply is - don't ask.

But that's beside the point, because we've gotten our hands on another vodka for review, so we're going to have to dust off the cobwebs and make this happen. Oval Vodka is comes in a very cool bottle we're looking forward to cracking open. Do you need some more details? The website mentions some interesting keywords - we read about homeopathy and structure. What is structure, you ask?

The structuring process combines water and alcohol in a way that is different than every other vodka - it arranges the vodka so that the water completely envelops the spirit. The result...Since the alcohol is completely surrounded by water the first thing you'll taste is the soft clean taste of pure water.

The structuring process can only be accomplished at 48, 84 and 112 proof. We have chosen 84 proof for this product to provide you with a vodka that tastes great straight, makes even better cocktails and provides you the best drinking experience possible. That's why we consider OVAL Vodka's Natural Evolution.

March 17, 2009

Hey, guess what we found? A list of the 10 best cities to celebrate St. Paddy's day. Yeah, we realize it would have been more helpful a week ago, but what can we do? Just think about next year - you'll have 364 days to get over tomorrow's blistering hangover and we just realized we have friends in seven out of ten of these cities. Irish road trip!

10 Best St. Patrick's Day Festivals in the United States at Beer Taste Test

March 16, 2009

One of the things that we constantly think about is building our own home bar. As you might expect, we have a nicely-stocked liquor cabinet here at the Liquor Snob offices, but we'd love to have our own space reserved purely for experimenting with cocktail recipes and whipping up drinks.

That's why we're excited about the prospect of the new home bar series from the KegWorks blog, which will lay out the things you should think about when putting in a bar of your own. We like how they have tackled their project, including a series of questions such as moveable vs permanent, wet vs dry, and theme vs evolving decor. These are all things we might not have thought of, and we're already starting to workshop some bar designs.

March 13, 2009

St. Patrick's Day, aka Amateur Night But a Good Time Anyway, is right around the corner, and this year we wanted to give you some more options than just some green-tinted beer. Get your drink on with recipes we've found all over the o'blogosphere and beyond, and let us know if you find recipes we've missed. Check 'em out below...did we miss anything?

March 11, 2009

Remember that video going around the Web a while back, where Dan Aykroyd was discussing Crystal Head Vodka and we didn't know if it was a joke? Well, it wasn't a joke, and we just got an email from our friends over at Internet Wines & Spirits that a certain someone will be autographing bottles of his wares next week if you want to get your hands on some history. We just bought ours - we're going to save it and drink the entire thing in the theater when Ghostbusters 3 comes out.

Internet Wines & Spirits is fortunate to welcome Dan Aykroyd to our St. Louis store on March 18. In conjunction with his visit, we are offering a special opportunity to purchase signed bottles of his Vodka, Cabernet Sauvignon, and Chardonnay. This offer expires on March 16 and orders will ship after March 19.

Nowadays, with things being what they are, most people we know want to do two things: get wasted, and save money. In our experience, one of the best ways to do both is to get your hands on a reasonably-priced flask and bring your booze with you. From movie theaters to piano recitals to that "quick word" your boss wants to have tomorrow, nothing takes the sting out of economical boozing like a good, solid flask.

Oh, but you want a flask that's good looking, you say? Maybe with snake skin wrapping, or included cups, or a little compartment to put your 420 in, all for twenty bucks or less? Look no further, friends.

March 10, 2009

You know that feeling you get, when the FedEx guy shows up with a giant box, and you know that box contains an ice luge mold? OK, maybe you don't, but we do because our very own Ice Booze ice luge and lighted drip tray have arrived. We've begun the phases of freezing, and our review should be live soonly. See? We're so excited to drink booze out of ice we can't even use correct grammar.

Oh, and by the by, if you're itching to pick one up, there's an Ice Booze special right now where you save $20 if you pick up the luge and the stand, and they'll throw in free shipping. Holla, but it's for a limited time, of course.

We just got wind of an interesting contest from Three Olives Vodka, the makers of all kinds of vodkas, flavored and non. All you have to do is show them the O-face you get from drinking their product (check out the original O-face moment if you need inspiration), and you have a chance to win a pretty cool prize. What's the prize, you ask?

How does $10,000 and a VIP trip to NYC to be the national face of their O-face campaign grab you? Yeah, we thought so. You can enter at their O-face contest page and see other entries as well. If you need more details, you methodical mofos, check out the full press release after the jump.

March 9, 2009

Ladies and gentlemen, it's time to make your voices heard about a topic that is near and dear to our hearts - Absinthe. The folks over at the Absinthe Review Network are taking a survey of American knowledge and attitudes toward absinthe and the brands available here. Since we've only had access to legal absinthe here in the states for a little over a year now, it might be limited, but that's the whole point of the survey!

Head on over and let them know what you know, and maybe you'll find out about some brands you've never heard of before. Sounds like a win/win/win to us, and you can bet we'll be taking the survey ourselves later today.

March 6, 2009

We first learned about Dirty Sue a while back, and we were pretty impressed with the concept of an olive brine designed solely for mixing drinks. For one thing, we're keen on the idea of using something the bartender's fingers haven't been in to fish out olives. For two things...well, the first thing is probably enough - we're fans of the fact our martinis can be filthy without containing any actual filth.

We were reintroduced to the concept of the stuff by a post by Jeffrey Morgenthaler about a contest he's judging for Dirty Sue, where you just have to submit a cocktail recipe featuring at least 1/4 ounce of the stuff. All entries have to be in by March 22, so you'd better get cracking, because the prizes are pretty damn cool. More info at the link above.

March 5, 2009

News flash: we love whiskey. Bourbon, rye, Canadian, we just can't get enough of it. We've always felt rye got a bad rap as most people like its sweeter cousins, but the rip roar of rye has its place, especially in a well-crafted cocktail. (ri)1(pronounce it with us, rye-one) is the ultra-premium rye offering from the Jim Beam family.

March 4, 2009

As the chief intern at Liquor Snob, I'm going to come right out and say there's nothing more appalling than a naked Scot. That's based mostly on the fact that I'm mostly Scottish and the sight of my nekkedness in the mirror on the way from the shower to the closet is pretty much what drives me to drink.

Hopefully, however, Naked Scot whisky will have a little bit more curb appeal than my birthday suit. No promises, but we're thinking pesticide-free whisky made in Scotland is a damn sight better than the flab and fur I'm sporting (hey, it gets cold in Scotland). Also, the reason it's called naked is because it's free of herbicides and pesticides, which the creators claim leads to a hangover free dram.

March 3, 2009

We have to say, some days we want to drink our liquor out of a fancy glass. Then again, some days we want to drink our liquor out of a giant, carved out chunk of ice. For those days, we think we might just have found our huckleberry. Introducing Ice Booze, a different take on the ice luge where you pour your liquor right through a chunk of ice instead of dribbling it along the top.

As far as we can tell, it's kind of like an iron maiden, but inside instead of spikes and pain, there's tubes and ice and boozy goodness. All we can say is, think we'll get ours by St. Patrick's Day? We'd sure like to run the interns through their luging paces - we've already got the tiny sleds and skintight outfits picked out.

March 2, 2009

We were all about the romance this month, featuring everything from an absinthe fountain in the female form, to (more or less) showing you how to saber the cork from a champagne bottle. We also printed our only recorded retraction, where due to reader demand we gave another go to Screech Rum...and liked it.